Lina Coelho

September, 2015

The economic and social status of Portuguese women has improved intensely over recent decades. This represents an important part of the structural changes that influenced various dimensions of economic and social life as well as the relationship between State and Community. Public resources and policies proved to be crucial for that process, which was instigated and shaped by the State, as legislator, service provider and employer. This paper intends to document and discuss this process and to show how it was only partially assimilated into the sphere of values and representations, thus creating social paradoxes and inconsistencies. It will be shown that these have been alleviated by the deep class inequalities that characterize Portuguese society. Moreover, the current crisis is putting the actual achievements in gender equality under threat. Keywords: gender contract; female employment; path-departure; inequalities

gender contract, female employment, path-departure, inequalities in Portugal